So I smoked a 2 pounder so my wife could make some yummy pot pies. So far on any pork or beef I've ever made, I've never once found myself thinking I've had too much smoke, let alone enough. I decided I wanted to up the ante and put some extra smoke on this roast.

I loaded my AMNPS with hickory pellets and lit both ends. Smoke was POURING out of my MES40. It must have jumped rows or something, because the whole thing burnt out in about 4 hours. At this point, I decided to wrap it in foil to keep it tender and help it finish faster, but when I opened up the smoker, the rub was still kinda mushy and a good crust hadn't fully formed, so I decided to leave it unfoiled. At which point, I decided to fill up another row on the AMNPS and stick it back in there for another 4 hours of lighter smoke.

Once it hit 205, I took it out and cubed it up the best I could. I was fully prepared to be disgusted by overwhelming smoke.....

NOPE!

It was amazing and the best smoke flavor I've had on a piece of meat yet (minus salmon, nobody beats Bear's smoked salmon). Everybody went nuts over it. My wife and I immediately said that for all pork and beef we do from now on, we're lighting both ends. The rub I used was really good too, because it had big peppercorn chunks that gave it a real nice peppery flavor along with the smoke.

Am I alone? Are we weird? In no way did I think this was too much smoke, but at the same time, I haven't seen a lot of other people doing this.

Sorry for the misleading subject line... just curious how many people read the first couple of paragraphs thinking "Well there you go dummy... of course that was too much smoke" only to be confounded when I said we all loved it more than other smokes.

I love a hearty smoke flavor and use predominantly Mesquite and Hickory for all my smokes for pork and beef; about 75% mesquite or hickory and 25% fruitwood, usually cherry. Heck that's why they call it a smoker, right?

The only exception seems to be chicken. I must not be doing something right, cause I (and especially the wife) prefer the chicken on the gasser. Nice crispy skin and fat rendered well on the leg quarters. I have been adding the AMZTS and this is getting a whisper of smoke flavor in there, but the gasser is not set up for smoke flow and most of the smoke is not whisping around the yard bird. But I am experimenting and will continue.

Hello. For me this one is easy. It's all a personal taste thing. I have eaten meat that I thought was "over smoked". I LOVE smoked meat. I use too much salt in my foods ( I am trying to cut down ). Certain spices help to bring out the smoked flavor and the salt flavor. Adding mustard seed to sausage IMHO adds to the smoked flavor and salt flavor. If you are using hickory AND mesquite then you are a smoke hound IMHO. Being from Tx. I would only consider a "SLIGHT MIX". Mesquite OR Hickory is usually good enough to smoke any animal by it self , and too much for some. Usually cut with another wood.

I would be interested in your complete process including pictures; especially of the smoker "doing it's thing".

8 hours of "serious" smoke on a 2lb chuckie. At what temp was the smoker? This almost sounds like a "semi-cold smoke" If I am thinking wrong ( would not be the first time ) I am sorry. This just seems to me to be one of three things. 1: YOU! are a smoke hound! No problem there. Personal preference. 2: Your temps readings are WAY off, you are semi cold smoking that chuckie. It's 2 lbs.. Even at 225 it should have been done in 3-4 hours IMHO! Doesn't take 8 hrs. to smoke a 2lb. bone in chicken. Mushy crust on that small of a chuckie after 4 hours? 3: Did you pump this chuckie full of liquid or brine it?

You mention "smoke pouring out of my MES40". BIG white smoke? Was it smoke or steam? No disrespect intended, there are just some things that need clarification before help can be given. As a Texas boy I can guarantee I can use mesquite and REALLY mess up a piece of meat. I can EASILY smoke that meat to the point it is almost inedible. I would eat cardboard smoked with mesquite but I can go over the top. I can lose the taste of the meat in a heartbeat with mesquite and be left with all you taste is mesquite smoke. Which brings me back to my question about your process.

Thanks for the replies, all. I'm about to smoke some pork butts this weekend and I plan on lighting both ends of my AMNPS again, the same way I did on my chuckie.

I'm just using the stock MES thermometers which are known to be off, but have seemed to work ok for me so far. I do intend to get a better unit in the future.

I feel like on 80% of the smokes I've done, I've struggled to taste the smoke. This is not true for salmon -- I smoke salmon ALL the time with alder wood and it always comes out amazing. But so far, beef, turkey, and pork all have seemed underwhelming with the smoke flavor. The last pork shoulder I did, I actually ruined because when it was done and pulled it didn't taste like smoke at all. I put it back in the smoker for some cold smoke and it ended up tasting HORRIBLE, so I fed it to the dogs.

Either I'm a smoke hound (and so is the rest of my family) or something with my set up or the way I prepare my meat doesn't make it very conducive to taking on smoke??? I'm not sure... I've had a lot of smoked food before I started smoking myself and I feel like I'm simply attempting to, and finally achieving that level.

I honestly don't know if it's the difference in using a pellet smoker vs a stick burner or what.

Either way, I'll take pictures along the way and start a new thread and update this thread with the link.

I smoke to the crowd and what works. I love mesquite and hickory on anything I can put in the smoker. Thankfully so does my Texas wife. A wet smoke (using a water pan) with both types of wood though is too much for her so I dry smoke or wet-to-dry smoke the majority of the time.

Whenever I take a smoked meat product to a party or a group I usually go with something lighter like Oak, of which I have plenty available. I wet-to-dry smoke that too, a process suggested here at SMF.

I remember when I first started smoking I could easily taste the difference between mesquite and hickory, but anything else just tasted the same. As my experience grew I learned to taste the differences between the fruit woods, nut woods, and oak.

When I eat smoked food at a restaurant, I'm usually satisfied with the smokiness. I wonder if I'm not properly forming the pellicle on my red meats or something silly that is preventing me from getting the smoke flavor to that point. Either that and I really am just a delusional smoke hound!

I love a hearty smoke flavor and use predominantly Mesquite and Hickory for all my smokes for pork and beef; about 75% mesquite or hickory and 25% fruitwood, usually cherry. Heck that's why they call it a smoker, right?

The only exception seems to be chicken. I must not be doing something right, cause I (and especially the wife) prefer the chicken on the gasser. Nice crispy skin and fat rendered well on the leg quarters. I have been adding the AMZTS and this is getting a whisper of smoke flavor in there, but the gasser is not set up for smoke flow and most of the smoke is not whisping around the yard bird. But I am experimenting and will continue.

Try Pecan for Chicken, then finish on the gasser to crisp up the skin.